The Book of John Gray premieres Saturday, April 15th at 10pm on OWN and we are here for it! Pastor John Gray, who was first introduced to us on The Preachers, is a pastor at Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas. It is known as the largest church in the country and his Wednesday night sermons attract people in the tens of thousands and with his vibrant personality, we understand why. The Oprah Winfrey Network reached out to John and his wife Aventer and offered them a chance to showcase what goes on in their lives to the world. It is a mix between Iyanla Fix My Life and Preachers of LA, but without the drama and petty arguing. Audiences get a glimpse inside the stressful life of a pastor that has to balance being there for his congregation and his family of 4.

I notice that whenever I have an interview with a religious leader or a Gospel artist, people are very opinionated and often negative towards each other in the comment section. Even more so, then when I conduct interviews with reality show cast members. The religious community can be harsh towards social issues and each other. I recently sat down with Pastor Gray and his wife at the OWN offices in Los Angeles and I asked him the question that seems to intrigue my viewers and readers the most…

What is your perspective on God being open to all things and all people, including homosexuals, people who listen to Hip Hop and Christian rap etc?

“First of all, my opinion doesn’t matter, the word is what matters. As a pastor, what I think about a subject is inconsequential. I don’t get the right to redirect scripture to fit my social construct. But, the scripture’s very clear. For God so love THE WORLD , not ‘the saints, not the church people, not the cool people, but THE WORLD!’ The broken, the lost, the hurting, the prostitutes, the lepers. Those who, theological Christians would like to throw away, he gave his only begotten son. So, the idea that God has favorites is a lie. Let’s get that out of the way. And we’re all loved by God equally. And I don’t suffer anyone who says opposite of that. Now, for those who are believers, this is very important, if you are a believer I believe the Bible. So, the Bible is my foundation for how I chose to live. I do not get to impose my views about my faith onto someone who does not believe. So, that’s the problem with the church. They’re answering questions nobody asked. If I didn’t invite you into my house, don’t come talking to me. But, if we’re having a conversation I can share. But, until then, the church should probably do a lot more loving and a lot less judging.”